


Danse Macabre

by apprenticeandfamiliar



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: But alas canon is a construct, Canon Divergent, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Julian and his relationship with the apprentice is mostly mentioned, Named Apprentice (The Arcana), Violence is not that graphic but adding this to be sure, and ma'am this is a wendys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:48:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26213656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apprenticeandfamiliar/pseuds/apprenticeandfamiliar
Summary: After a long day helping the people of Vesuvia, Miranda has an encounter with unexpected consequences.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana)
Kudos: 8





	Danse Macabre

**Author's Note:**

> \- OK so this has SPOILERS of sorts for what happened to the Apprentice. If you have not reached Book XIII of whatever route you might be playing, stop now, play that, and return later. This fic will still be there.

It has been a long day.

Miranda has never been more glad to be greeted by the sight of the Palace than in this very moment. 

The guards greet her with tired and worried gazes, asking her if she has any news of their families. After all, she has come from her rounds, and even if not all the news she brings are good, she takes her time with both of them, trying her best to help them keep their spirits.

It is the same with every single one of the servants she finds in her way, some of them relieved to hear the good news, others weeping after they hear that their loved ones have died or been sent to the Lazaret.

(There's also the ones that sigh, resignation marring their expressions, and say: "Better the Lazaret than here."   
And Miranda shudders because they are right, but they'll never know the extent of it.)

She wishes she could hug them, comfort them. But she knows she has to keep her distance, especially after she returns from these rounds, and every single one of them respects it.

_"Thank you." "You are risking so much for us." "May the gods bless you."_

She hears this always, at the end of every conversation, and yet... And yet she feels she is not doing enough.

Miranda lets herself a moment to sink to her knees, at a corner near the library where she would not make any trouble for anyone, just as Jessica, one of Countess Nadia's maids, approaches her, pretty much looking as if her heart were going to leap from her chest.

"Miranda, thank goodness I found you!"

"What is it?" 

"It's Count Lucio. He is not letting anyone inside his room and has said he won't until they bring Doctor Devorak to him, but no one can find him anywhere."

It takes Miranda a moment to process all that, and another to exchange the groan that threatened to leave her lips for a sigh. Even if he was not the most patient of patients, the Count also suffers from the Plague and she stayed in Vesuvia to help all who suffered from it.

Without exceptions.

And yet, Julian was so tired... He had spent such a long time researching, looking for a cure, and even if Miranda hopes it is not the case, she is afraid he might have some of the symptoms already.

So, she takes a deep breath and looks at Jessica again.

"Take me to the Count's rooms."

"But Miranda..." 

"Doctor Devorak is too occupied," Miranda replies, taking some effort in standing up. "The Count shall have to content himself with me."

Once she is up, she rummages through the contents of her bag, and Ariel climbs up her arm before she takes a piece of parchment and notes some things up before she ties it to the squirrel's neck.

"You go find Julian, little one, and give him the message."

Ariel squeaks before he leaps to the library doors and disappears under them.

"I still don't understand how your squirrel manages to do that." Jessica nods, obviously impressed.

"That's the thing with squirrels, they keep a lot of secrets." Miranda jokes before taking another deep breath. "Off we go?"

Jessica nods, stifling a chuckle before she takes her all the way to the Count's rooms.

"Announce me as the Doctor," Miranda whispers.

"Are you sure?" Jessica asks, worried, to which Miranda just nods, and thus, her friend does as told.

The door opens, and Miranda slides in before the door closes and anyone can say anything.

"You finally came!" A voice from the bed beckons her. "Took you long enough but you came. I knew you would not leave me alone, my Julian..."

But, as she approaches the bed, and sees the Count, pale, and gaunt, and haggard. The Count sees her, and an uneasy silence takes hold of the room.

"You are not Jules..."

"I am afraid not, milord." She explains. "He's hard at work trying to find a cure."

He reacts at her words as if they were a sort of inconvenience.

"Oh."

Silence again, awkward and of the kind that makes Miranda wish she was somewhere else.

"Then you can...stay, I guess." He says, looking up at her. "You are that cute little thing that has him so distracted, aren't you? What is your name?"

"Miranda, sire." She replies, taking his hand as carefully as she can to measure his pulse.

It is normal, for the pulse of a person with the Red Plague.

He is looking at her with cat-like curiosity, which feels quite unnerving, even if she is as focused as she can be in taking note of everything.

And it’s funny but, for someone who has been suffering the illness for such a long time, he is... fine? At least compared with the rest of the people Miranda has seen during the day.

He is a bit feverish, but she makes him lie down and places a cold hand on his forehead.

It’s strange to see his reaction to her touch. Far from the simple relief that it seems to bring others, it’s as if he craved it. As if he craved more because he was so starved of any kind of touch that even this could do.

“That feels good... so good...”

Miranda is thankful for the mask she is wearing because, for some reason, her cheeks are flushing with heat afterwards.

The Count seems to notice, as he sits up, observing her again.

“You know, Miranda... I would...” He tries to get close to her, but ends up falling again on the bed, too tired. “I would like to see how cute you are...”

“I am afraid that shall have to wait, sire.” She tells him, calmly, even allowing herself the start of some harmless flirting. “Perhaps, when the cure is...”

She should have noticed the metallic fingers that yank the mask from her face, almost tearing it, and then rest under her chin, making her look at him.

“Oopsie.” 

She steps backwards, horrified once she realises what has happened thanks to the small trickle of blood that comes from her lip. She covers herself again with what she can salvage of her mask.

“You know... I see why he is so distracted...” He grins before closing his eyes, drifting to a slumber that would almost feel peaceful weren’t Miranda almost working herself in a panic.

Still, she waits until he falls completely asleep, and makes her way out of the rooms. Jessica has left, probably having too much work to do to wait and, in a certain way, Miranda is thankful for that.

Her mind goes from her to Ariel and Julian, both of them waiting for her in the office...

No.

No. She cannot go.

What if she has gotten it? What if Julian ends up infected? 

No. He cannot. He will not.

She cannot allow this.

So she leaves the Palace, among the shadows, without a clear destination in mind. 

Only knowing that, no matter how long she has left, she will put it to good use.

**Author's Note:**

> \- Yeah so I was kind of wanting to write a scene in this style as soon as I knew what had happened with the Apprentice.
> 
> \- Only I should have looked to see that Julian wasn't actually employed by the Palace until after the Apprentice died. But anyhow, I had written a lot already and I did not want to set this aside. So now you all are saddled with it just as I was XD


End file.
